Devils Workshop

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumb Cake

We bought a house at the end of last summer, soon after we were married. I love our home, but I had no idea how many projects would pop up. For the past two weeks we have been putting in a sprinkler system. Ok, I really shouldn't say we, Josh has been putting in the sprinkler system. I am lucky to have such a hard working husband, he is very handy:)

Well, it is almost done. Yahoo! The hydroseed is going in on Tuesday and hopefully our grass will be up in no time. Next on the list, our garden. We've planted some tomatoes and flowers, but we have more to do!

We did discover four huge rhubarb plants in our yard. The previous owners must of planted them and I am SO glad they did. I have fallen head over heels for rhubarb. I know I've tasted it before but I don't remember being too fond of it. I didn't want the rhubarb to go to waste, so I decided to try out some new recipes.

I tried a Strawberry Rhubarb Crumb Cake that I saw on Sugar Plum's blog. I figured this would be a safe one to start with. The cake part was very basic. I scattered the sliced strawberries and rhubarb over the batter. I loved their bright red color. I also added a crumb topping, after it baked for awhile.

I wasn't really sold on the rhubarb idea, so I had Josh taste it. He LOVED it so of course I had to have a bite and WOW! I was surprised at how good it was. I loved the tartness of the rhubarb paired with the sweet strawberries and sugary, crunchy crumb topping. This cake is a winner! We took it to a BBQ and our friends are now big rhubarb fans!

I still have a lot of rhubarb to use up. If you have any favorites, please share! What can I say? I have a new crush:)

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together 1 cup flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. In a large mixing bowl, beat together 6 tablespoons butter and granulated sugar until creamy, about 1 minute; beat in yolks and vanilla until combined. Gradually beat in flour mixture, alternating with milk until combined, about 1-2 minutes. Spread cake batter evenly into prepared pan. Top batter with strawberries and rhubarb. Bake for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the crumb topping: Combine brown sugar, flour, oats, and 4 tablespoons butter; knead together using fingertips or a fork until well combined and mixture starts to clump together. Keep in freezer until ready for use. When cake has baked 20 minutes, top evenly with crumb mixture. Continue baking for an additional 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into cakes comes out with moist crumbs attached. Cool for 30 minutes before running a knife around outside edges. Remove cake from pan and cool on a rack.

76 Comments:

I'm bookmarking this cake - it looks fabulous! We had rhubarb in the side yard when I was growing up, but I haven't eaten it very much in years. I saw (on Twitter!) that Dorie was working on a rhubarb recipe yesterday, and I think David Lebovitz too? So you're in great company!

I've been looking forward to your posts about the rhubarb after seeing your tweets about them :) This looks fantastic! Sadly, I don't think I've ever had rhubarb. I'll have to keep my eyes peeled at the store next time I'm there.

Maria, this cake looks fabulous. You know, I've never had rhubarb, but it's certainly been popping up around the food blog world. I really need to get my hands on some--perhaps I will try it in this cake! Sorry that I’ve been an absent commenter; I just finished up my law school exams and am finally getting around to my google reader.

Yum! I recently took a dinner demo class and the chef made strawberry rhubarb crisp for dessert. It was divine! I liked the fruit more than I thought I would and the crisp on top was amazing. (I can send you the recipe if you want it.)

I love rhubarb too. We grew up eating it all the time because my grandpa grew it and now my dad does. The way we ate it the most was just cooked in the microwave with a bit of sugar, to taste, and water. You can do it on the stovetop too. It becomes kind of like a compote, but it is good enough to eat plain by the bowlful. I also like it spread on whole wheat toast. Here is a post-http://maresfoodandfun.blogspot.com/2008/08/rhubarb-treats-stephs-rhubarb-filled.html where I did rhubarb filled cupcakes (YUM!), rhubarb mini-pies (the filling was amazing), and prudy's rhubarb coffee cake, which is similar to my grandmother's rhubarb cake, which we had just the other day, but I haven't blogged about it. I have also made rhubarb-strawberry muffins, pie, and cobbler. Lots of rhubarb experience here! Sorry this is such a long comment. Can't wait to see what you do with it next! (It is also yummy-raw, dipped in sugar)

My mom always grew rhubarb and made pies with it. I saw some at the store the other day, I hope it is still there, because I want to try this cake. I planted one rhubarb plant last year and it is just now coming up. You are lucky to have four plants, that is a lot of fruit.

Just yesterday I made up a batch of Strawberry Rhubarb Jam: http://doctordomestic.com/2009/05/17/strawberry-rhubarb-jam/And I also love making simple rhubarb sauce (with or without strawberries) where you just cook down rhubarb with a tiny bit of liquid and some sugar. Its like applesauce but the rhubarb- plus it freezes beautifully!http://doctordomestic.com/2009/05/04/rhubarb-sauce/

I love rhubarb plants and it is another one of those plants I can just sit there and chow on while gardening.

Been in my house for 8 years and I still stuck in project hell. Last weekend was spent mulching and designing a planter holder. I wish I could put a sprinkler system in but my yard is full of flipping tree roots.

That cake looks delicious. I'm fascinated by rhubarb but I've only had it a couple of times. It's way too hot for it to grow in Texas but I keep hoping that I'll stumble upon some at the market in DC. Hopefully I will and then I can make this cake!

That looks perfect the neighbors just brought over a bag of rhubarb they know I am the only one who cooks thanks for sharing. I will do the same.Looks perfect. Look around maybe you will find some asparagus.

Now that is AMAZING!!! You had rhubarb in your backyard?! You are so lucky! I actually have always feared rhubarb for some reason - never even heard of it before last summer when I moved to DC. But the other night, I had a rhubarb gelee at a restaurant and now I can't stop thinking about it! I'm going to get some tonight!!! This recipe looks fantastic and if all goes well, I'll make this soon, too!!!

Love your blog! We love rhubarb at our house too. We usually get it from grandma's house, but planted two plants this year. I often make rhubarb bread (http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Rhubarb-Bread-I/Detail.aspx). It is amazing. I substitute egg beaters for the egg and applesauce for all of the oil. It still turns out great!

Oh, this looks good. I've only had rhubarb once or twice and I can't say I liked it all that much...but I know people who love it, and maybe they will do my laundry or wash my car in exchange for a rhubarb cake! Probably not. (I might make this for them anyway. Then I can have a piece and become a convert.)

Lucky you - I can't wait until I can have a house instead of a tiny apartment, even with all the chores. That cake looks awesome (I've been waiting for it since you mentioned it on Twitter), but here's a tip - Smitten Kitchen's Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble. Pure awesomeness.